Plastic pump with metal bearing



June 20, 1967 w. OHMANN PLASTIC PUMP WITH METAL BEARING 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed oct. 2o, 1965 [sy M ATTORNEYS .lune 20, 1967 w. OHMANN PLASTIC PUMP WITH METAL BEARING 4 Sheets-Sheet 2;

Filed Oct. 20, 1965 INVENTOR.

/gy i@ MM `Fume 20, 1967 W. OHMANN PLASTIC PUMP WITH METAL BEARING 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 20, 1965 INVENTOR.

VWM/,4M @AOV/440V a lg, A'ITURNEYS @baut *47 /inh .lune 20, 1967 W. OHMANN PLASTIC PUMP WITH METAL BEARING 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 20, 1965 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,326,134 PLASTIC PUMP WITH METAL BEARING William Obmann, Benton Harbor, Mich., assigner to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 498,623 13 Claims. (Cl. 103-3) This invention relates to improvements in pumps and more particularly relates to an improved form of pump and mounting means therefor, particularly adapted for automatic washing machines.

Pumps for automatic washing machines, controlled under the cyclic control system for the machine, have heretofore been made from plastic materials, particularly due to the resistance of the plastic materials to erosion and corrosion from the bleaching and detergent solutions used, as Well as high alkali water. Such pumps, however, have had a relatively short life due to fatigue of the plastic particularly at the supports for the metal bearings and at the mountings for the pump on the washing machine. This fatigue of the plastic is due to the flow of the plastic mounting and bearing supports when the pump is under load, caused not only by stress on the supports but also by the heat generated in the bearings.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a novel and improved rotary pump having a housing made from a plastic material resistant to the deleterious action of the washing liquids in which the heavy drive loads are relieved from the pump housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of rotary pump particularly adapted for automatic washing machines and arranged with a view toward using a corrosive resistant plastic for the parts of the pump in contact with washing liquids and taking all heavy bearing and mounting loads of the pump onto a metallic mounting member for the pump. l

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved form of rotary pump having a plastic pump housing in which a rigid metallic mounting member mounts the pump on an automatic washing machine to be driven from the motor of the machine under the cyclic control system for the machine, and acts as a rigid mounting member for the load carrying bearings of the pump.

Another object of the invention is to providean improved form of pump for laundry machines and the like in which thepump housing and impeller are made from a corrosion resistant plastic material and in which a metallicmounting member relieves the pump housing from the mounting loads and also takes the heavy bearing loads from the plastic housing for the pump.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide an improved form of washing machine pump made from a plastic material resistant to corrosion from bleach, detergents, high alkali water, abrasive materials and the like, in which a metal mounting member is rigidly attached to the machine and mounts the plastic pump to the machine and forms a rigid support for the pump bearings and therefore takes the belt loads applied to the pump pulley and further acts as a heat sink to carry heat away from the plastic portion of the pump and avoid the flow of the plastic by the heat generated in the bearings for the pump.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is an elevational view of an automatic laundry machine with parts broken away and parts shown in vertical section and illustrating a laundry machine embodying a pump and a mounting means therefor, constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Patented June 20, 1967 ICC FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the machine with parts broken away in order to show the gear case and the mounting for the pump thereon;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded View of a pump constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention showing the pump yand its mounting in vertical section;

FIGURE 4 is the vertical sectional view of the pump shown in FIGURE 3 showing the pump mounted on the gear casing of an automatic laundry machine;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary detail horizontal sectional View taken substantially along V--V of FIGURE 4 with certain parts broken away;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line VI--VI of FIGURE 5 and showing the mounting lfor the pump on a washing machine gear case; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along line VII-VII of FIGURE 6.

It will be understood thatl the principles of the present invention are of general applicability to washing machines per se as well as to combination washers and extractors or to combination washer-extractor-dryers, and that ins-ofar as the pump sub-combination is concerned, it will further be appreciated that the principles of the present invention are of general applicability to any fluid system wherein a pump exhibiting the desired properties disclosed herein is required.

For the purposes of illustrating the principles of the present invention, however, I have shown in FIGURE 1 an automatic washing, rinsing and extracting machine 10 having a cabinet 11 forming an enclosure for a tub 12, which is adapted to confine water or laundry liquid within a treatment zone.

A clothes container 13 is rotatably mounted within the tub 12 for rotation about a central drive shaft 14 for an agitator 15.

The tub 12 and clothes container 13 are carried on a floating base \16 suspended from the top portion of the cabinet on suspension links 17 encased in rubber at their ends and carried in sockets 19 in the base 16 and in similar sockets (not shown) at the upper part'of the cabinet for damping -oscillatable movement which may occur between the base and the cabinet.

Suspended from the base 16 on a hanger bracket 20 is an electric motor 21 which operates as the drive motor for the machine. The motor 21 has an upwardly extending motor shaft 22 having a drive pulley 23 at its upper end for driving the rotatable components of the machine through a belt 24.

A gear casing is indicated at 25 which contains an oscillatable drive mechanism driven from a drive pulley 26 for oscillatably driving theshaft 14 and agitator 15 in a conventional manner. The .gear casing 25 is shown as being in the form of a two part gear casing having a lower part 27, housing an oscillatable drive gearing for oscillatably driving the agitator 15, and an upper part 28, forming a support for certain operating and control mechanisms of the machine including a pump 30, FIGURE 2.

The pump 30 is provided to drain liquid from the tub 12. The pump 30, herein shown, is adapted for pumping laundry liquid from the tub 12 and storing the liquid in a storage receptacle (not shown), While the rinsing and extracting operations are carried out in the tub 12. The pump may then return the stored liquid for use in washing additional articles to be laundered in a conventional manner.

The pump 30 is similar in operation to the pump shown and described in United States Patent No. 2,974,513 assigned to the assignee of the present application, differing primarily in the housing for the pump, the bearing support structure, and the mounting means for J the pump with other minor structural variations hereinafter described. The pump includes a casing 31, made from a suitable plastic material resistant to the corrosive effects of bleach, detergents, high alkali water, abrasive materials and the like, to which the pump is subjected during the carrying out of a washing operation. The casing 31 has a volute pumping chamber 32 having an impeller 33 mounted for rotation therein. The impeller 33 is made from a plastic material which will resist the corrosive effects of bleach, detergents, high alkali water and the like and is secured to the lower end of a drive shaft 35 extending upwardly through a hollow boss 36 formed in the pump casing 31 and extending upwardly of the pumping chamber 32. A pulley 37, secured to the upper end of the drive shaft 35, serves as a drive member for said shaft and the impeller 33, and is driven from the belt 24.

The bottom of the pumping chamber 32 is closed by a cover plate 39 having a flat inner surface forming the bottom surface of the pumping chamber and having an annular groove 40 extending thereabout adjacent the periphery thereof. A gasket 41 is seated in the annular groove 40 and is retained in sealing engagement with the underside of a llange 43 extending about and defining the lower margin of the pumping chamber, as by a plurality of spring clips 44. The spring clips 44 provide constant pressure on the gasket 41 to provide a tight seal to the pumping chamber even where the plastic parts may deform or warp due to heat or stress.

The hollow boss 36 has a bottom wall 45 having a hollow boss 46 depending therefrom concentric with the center -of the drive shaft 35 and eccentric of the center of the hollow boss 36.

The hollow boss 46 has communication with the interior of the hollow boss 36 through a passageway 47 for the shaft 35 and for a wick 48 extending upwardly into an oil well 49.

The depending hollow boss 46 forms a downwardly opening receptacle for a suitable shaft sealing means such as a rotary shaft seal assembly 50 of well known construction. The rotary seal provides a liquid seal between the interior of hollow boss36 and the interior of hollow boss 46.

At one side of the pumping chamber 32 and formed integrally with the pump casing 31 is a liquid diverting chamber 55 having diametrically opposed conduits 56 and 57 leading thereinto (FIGURE 2), one of which is connected with the tub 12 and the other of which is connected to a storage receptacle (not shown). A butterfly valve 59 is pivotally mounted in the diverting chamber on a vertical shaft 60 extending upwardly through a hollow boss 61 formed integrally with the top of the pump casing and extending upwardly therefrom. A crank arm 63 (FIGURE 2), is suitably secured to the upper end of the shaft 60 to pivotally move said shaft and butterily valve to effect the flow of liquid into the pump `through conduit 56 and out of the pump through conduit 57 and vice versa, depending upon the position of said valve.

Fluid enters the pump chamber through an annular passageway 64 extending about the depending boss 46 and in communication with the diverting chamber 55 and leaves the pumping chamber 32 into the diverting chamber 56 along the volute periphery of said pumping chamber in a manner similar to that shown and described in the United States patent to Clearman 2,974,513, previously mentioned, and forms no part of the present invention so is not herein shown or described further.

The butterfly valve 59 is also seated in the liquid diverting chamber 55 to effect the flow of liquid through the conduits 56 and 57 in a selected direction, as in the aforementioned United States patent.

Referring now in particular to the metal mounting means for the pump bearings and casing, a metal mounting member 77 in the general form of a segmental hood is shown as extending over the top of the pump casing 31 and downwardly along one side thereof for attachment to the gear case 25, to support the pump housing 31 on said gear case. The mounting member 77 has a central sleeve-like portion 79 generally conforming with and extending downwardly into the hollow boss 36 of the pump casing 31. The sleeve 79 forms a support for a lower bearing 80 for the shaft 35 and an upper llanged bearing 81 for said shaft, supported in said sleeve to extend along one side thereof. The sleeve 79 is shown as extending above the casing 31 for a short distance and as having three equally spaced ribs 82 and 83, 83 extending downwardly along the inner periphery thereof. The ribs 82 and 83, 83 engage the shaft bearings 80 and 81 at points spaced generally 120 apart. The bearings 80 and 81 may be placed into the sleeve 79 along the ribs 82 and 83, 83 with a light press fit, holding the bearings in place, but accommodating removal thereof.

The interior of the sleeve 79 forms the oil Well 49 and may contain waste or wicking to maintain the shaft bearings 80 and 81 uniformly supplied with oil. The hollow boss 36 serves to retain oil within the oil well 49. An arm 85 extends outwardly of the periphery of the sleeve 79 in a horizontal direction along the top of the casing 31 and liquid diverting chamber 55. The arm 85 has a hollow boss 86 at its outer end portion, fitting about the boss 61 extending upwardly of the top surface of the liquid diverting chamber 55, and forming a stiffening support for said boss and the shaft 60 pivotally mounted therein. Extending from the opposite side of the sleeve 79 from the arm 85, is a depending skirt 86a generally conforming to the outside of the boss 36 of the casing 31 and spaced outwardly therefrom. The skirt 86a terminates at its lower end into a horizontally extending ledge 87, generally segmental in form and having a hollow boss 88 extending upwardly therefrom, at one side thereof and forming a mounting for a pivot pin 89 pivotally mounting a shifting bell crank 90 on said boss, intermediate the arms of said bell crank. The bell crank 90 has a lever arm 91 extending along the top of the ledge 87 and upwardly therefrom. A link 92 connects the lever arm 91 with the crank 63, for pivotally moving the shaft 60 and butterfly valve 59 in position to reverse the flow of fluid through the conduits 56 and 57. An overcenter torsion spring 93 is connected at one of its legs to ledge 87 and at its opposite leg to the arm 91, to retain the butterfly valve 59 in its two flow diverting positions in a convent1onal manner. The other arm of the bell crank 90 is engaged by a notched shifting bar 95 rectilinearly moved upon energization of a solenoid 96, or any other suitable motor means, to shift the bell crank 90 and butterfly valve 59 into its two flow controlling positions.

The skirt 86a and ledge 87 have opposite depending end walls 96a, extending downwardly therefrom in radial directions and connected together by a generally segmental cylindrical wall 97 depending from and extending along the outside of the ledge 87. Two circumferentially spaced attachment lugs 99 extend radially of the mounting members and generally form outward continuations of the end walls 96a thereof and extend circumferentially inwardly of said end walls along the wall 97, to provide adequate support for the mounting member and pump on the gear casing 25.

As shown in FIGURES 3, 5, 6 and 7, the lugs 99 are hollow and form downwardly opening cavities receiving legs 100 extending radially of the pump casing along the hollow portions of the lugs 99. The legs 100 have bifurcated end portions extending along opposite sides of bosses 101 for mounting bolts 103 extending through said lugs 99 and bosses and mounting the mounting member and pump casing to the gear casing 25. As shown in FIG- URES 4 and 6, the bolts 103 extend through flanged portions 104 extending outwardly of the two halves 27 and 28 of the gear casing, and cooperate to retain the halves of the gear casing together, as well as to mount the mounting member 77 and pump 30 thereon, to extend from one side thereof.

As best seen in FIGURE 6, the bottom surface of lug 99 bears directly against the upper surface of the outwardly extending ange 104 on gear case 25. The legs 100 of pump housing 31 are securely clamped between the lugs 99 and ange 104 but are not subject to operating forces because these forces are taken up by the rigid metal lugs 99 in contact with the liange 104. The plastic pump housing 31 is held in fixed relationship to the metal mounting member 77 by the various cooperating parts of the mounting member and pump housing, for example the lugs 99 and legs 100, the sleeve 79 and boss 36 and the hollow boss 86 and boss 61.

The metal mounting member 77 thus mounts the pump on the casing 2S and takes mounting and operational loads away from the plastic pump casing. The metal mounting member forming a bearing support for the bearings for the shaft 35, takes the drive loads applied to the pump pulley 37 by the belt 24, and also acts as a heat sink, carrying away heat from the pump bearings and the'plastic casing parts in the vicinity of the bearings, which would otherwise be subjected to deformation by the heat generated by the shaft rotating in its bearings.

In addition the construction shown and described makes it possible to isolate all metal parts subjected to corrosion from the washing solution and to pass the washing solution along and in contact only with plastic material resistant to corrosion and erosion from bleach,

detergents, high alkail water, abrasive materials and the like.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variations and modifications in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a rotary pump having a plastic pump housing:

metallic mounting means for said pump adapted to be attached to a carrying member,

a bearing carried by said metallic mounting means free from said pump housing,

shaft means rotatably mounted in said bearing and extending into said pump housing,

an impeller xedly attached to said shaft means within said pump housing,

and liquid sealing means between said pump housing and said shaft,

said metallic mounting means being effective to transfer the operational forces on said pump to said carrying member .and free from said pump housing.

2. In la rotary pump having a plastic pump housing:

metallic mounting means for said pump including at least two spaced attachment sites adapted to be attached to a carrying member,

a bearing carried by said metallic mounting means exteriorly of said pump housing,

shaft means rotatably mounted in said bearing and extending into said pump housing,

an impeller fixedly attached to said shaft means within said pump housing,

and liquid sealing means between said pump housing 'and said shaft,

said metallic mounting means ybeing effective to transfer -the operational forces on said pump to said carrying member independently of said pump housing.

3. In a rotary pump having a plastic pump housing:

metallic mounting means for said pump extending along the top of and downwardly along a side of said plastic pump housing and having attachment means extending laterally therefrom adapted to be attached to a carrying member,

bearing support means positioned exteriorly of said plastic pump housing,

bearing means carried by said bearing support means,

shaft means rotatably mounted in said bearing means and extending into said pump housing,

an impeller fixedly attached to said shaft means within said pump housing,

liquid sealing means between said pump housing and said shaft,

said bearing support means and mounting means all being made from metal and acting as a heat sink to carry heat away from said plastic pump housing in the regions of said bearing means for said shaft means.

4. A rotary pump in accordance with claim 3,

wherein the bearing support means forms an oil well,

and wherein a wick extends about said shaft beneath the lowermost bearing up into said oil well and returns oil thrown from said shaft, to said oil well, through capillary action.

5. A rotary pump in accordance with claim 4,

wherein the bearing support means is of a sleeve-like form and has three spaced ribs extending vertically therealong eccentric of the center of said sleeve, forming supports for said bearings,

6. A rotary pump for laundry machines and the like,

comprising:

a plastic pump housing having a shaft extending thereinto and an impeller on the inner end of said shaft,

and bearing support means for said shaft and mounting means for said pump comprising,

a metallic mounting member extending along the top of said housing and having a hood-like portion extending downwardly along and outwardly of one side of said housing,

said` mounting member having bearing support means for said shaft exteriorly of said plastic pump housing coaxial withthe axis of rotation of said shaft,

and having attachment means interengaged by said pump housing,

40 whereby the mounting of said mounting member on a carrying member therefor serves to mount the pump thereto and to free the plastic pump housing from the driving forces on the pump.

7. A rotary pump comprising: a plastic pump housing, a drive shaft extending within said housing, an impeller on the inner end of said shaft, drive means on the outer end of said shaft for driving said shaft, bearing means for said shaft positioned exteriorly of said plastic pump housing, and metallic bearing support means for said bearing means and mounting means for said pump having: a sleeve-like bearing support extending along said shaft exteriorly of said plastic pump housing and a support and attachment hood extending laterally and downwardly of said bearing support to one side of said plastic pump housing and having attachment means thereon, adapted lto be attached to a carrying member, said sleeve-like bearing support taking the drive loads on said shaft and serving as a heat sink conducting the heat generated between said shaft and bearings away from the plastic housing for the pump. 8. A rotary pump comprising: a plastic pump housing, a drive shaft extending into said housing, an impeller on the inner end of said shaft and driven thereby, a drive member for said shaft and impeller on the outer end of said shaft, a metallic mounting member for said pump having an arm extending over the top of said housing and having interengagement therewith and also having a sleeve-like bearing support depending therefrom exteriorly of said plastic pump housing and about said shaft, at least one bearing carried by said sleeve-like bearing support and forming a bearing for said shaft, and at least two attachment sites extending from said mounting member and interengaged by said housing and affording a means for attaching said mounting member and pump to a carrying member, whereby the attaching and drive loads on said pump are carried by said metallic mounting member.

9. A rotary pump in accordance with claim 8, wherein the sleeve is non-circular and has at least three bearing support ribs extending therealong spaced equal distances radially and circumferentially of the axis of rotation of said shaft, and wherein at least one bearing is supported by said ribs and forms a bearing for said shaft. 10. A rotary pump in accordance with claim 8, wherein the sleeve-like bearing support is generally oval in form and has at least three bearing support ribs extending vertically along the inner wall thereof and spaced equal distances radially and circumferentially of the axis of rotation of said shaft, wherein at least one bearing is supported in said ribs, and wherein the space outside of said bearing and shaft forms an oil well adapted to contain oil for lubricating said shaft. 11. In a rotary pump, a pump housing made from a plastic material resistant to the deleterious action of washing liquids, a rigid metallic mounting member for said pump includat least two spaced attachment sites adapted to be attached to a carrying member, a sleeve carried by said mounting member exteriorly of said pump housing, a ow diverting chamber in said pump housing, a flow diverting valve in said flow diverting charnber having a vertical shaft extending upwardly of said housing, an arm extending from said sleeve and having a portion extending about said shaft and retaining said shaft in position to pivot said valve, a crank secured to said shaft on the outside of said arm, lever means pivoted on said mounting member and having operative connection with said crank, and

overcenter spring means connected between said mounting member and said lever means for retaining said valve in its operative positions, at least one bearing carried by said metallic sleeve, shaft means rotatably mounted in said bearing and extending through said sleeve from a position above the top thereof into said pump housing, an impeller xedly attached to said shaft means within said pump housing, said metallic mounting means being effective to transfer the operational forces of driving said shaft and impeller and shifting said valve to said carrying member free from said pump housing. 12. A rotary pump in accordance with claim 11, wherein the sleeve has at least three radially extending circumferentially spaced ribs extending therealong ec- -centric of the center thereof and engaging said bearing, for retaining said bearing in position, and wherein the portion of said sleeve outside of said shaft and bearing forms an oil Well for lubricating said bearing. 13. A rotary pump for use in a laundry machine cornprising:

plastic housing means for resisting the deleterious effect of laundry liquids, a shaft extending into said housing, an impeller attached to said shaft within said housing, bearing means for said shaft positioned exteriorly of said plastic housing means; and metallic bearing support means for carrying said bearing means, said metallic bearing support means including means for cooperating with said plastic housing means to retain said bearing support means and said plastic housing means in fixed relationship with respect to each other and further including attachment means for attaching said pump to a carrier member independently of said plastic housing.

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1/1958 Snyder 103-218 8/1960 Schaefer 103-218 3/1961 Clearman 103-3 

1. IN A ROTARY PUMP HAVING A PLASTIC PUMP HOUSING: METALLIC MOUNTING MEANS FOR SAID PUMP ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO A CARRYING MEMBER, A BEARING CARRIED BY SAID METALLIC MOUNTING MEANS FREE FROM SAID PUMP HOUSING, SHAFT MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BEARING AND EXTENDING INTO SAID PUMP HOUSING, AS IMPELLER FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO SAID SHAFT MEANS WITHIN SAID PUMP HOUSING, AND LIQUID SEALING MEANS BETWEEN SAID PUMP HOUSING AND SAID SHAFT, 